Desiccating apparatus



Aug 26, 1930. w. s. BOWEN 1197749359 DESICCATING APPARATUS- Filed May 8, 1928 Fig, i

INVENTOR W\LLlAM SPENCER BOWEN ATTORN EY Patented Aug. 26, 1930 PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM srnncnn BOWEN, or wnszrrrnrm, NEW JERSEY DESIGGATING APPARATUS Application filed May 8, 1928. Serial No. 276,017.

The invention relates to desiccating apparatus for the drying of liquids, semi-liquids, liquid emulsions, slurries, juices, syrups and other solid-containing liquids, and more par ticularly to a novel type of desiccating chamher which shall be self-cleaning inherently as well as in the provision of a shell or skin of a gaseous medium over its inner surface.

It has for its object a novel construction of said chamber whereby the cooling action is inherent in the material of which the easing forming said, chamber is composed,and develops automatically also more especially when a negative pressure is established within the chamber, for example, by connecting its outlet to suitable flow-inducing means which latter may serve to circulate the dried product and spent drying gases through said chamber. A further object of the invention 0 resides in the provision of means to prevent objectionable contact of the material treated with the wall of the treating chamber and in means for assisting in the removal of any particles of the product which may tend to deposit along the chamber wall.

In carrying out the invention, the novel casing is constructed throughout a portion of its length and, preferably throughout its entire length, of a foraminous material which, also, is preferably flexible as of material such as fabric and the like. Material of this nature is useful also in assisting in the removal by evaporation from its external surface of any moisture tending to collect upon its inner surface and soaking through to the outer surface. A further cooling action, it will be appreciated, results from this evaporation.

Moreover, to assist in maintaining the form of this flexible casing material, which may be suspended from the top of a vertically disposed desiccating apparatus or stretched between supports, rings or like members are provided along its length about the same; and these are preferably flexibly attached, as by straps or tapes, to its outer surface so that they may vibrate or swing against said casing and through contact therewith assist in dislodging particles adhering to its inner surface and resulting from the desiccation of the solids in solution or suspension introduced into said casing simultaneously with a gaseous drying medium.

The nature of the invention, however, will best be understood when described in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation, partly in section, illustrating the novel desiccating apparatus; and Fig; 2 is a horizontal section therethrough. taken on the line 22, Fig. 1, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates a distributing casing, to be located at one end of the apparatus, for receiving the gaseous drying medium which may be supplied thereto from a suitable source of supply (not shown) through a flue or duct 11. The said distributing casing is. provided .with a centrally disposed opening 12 through which the gaseous medium and a solid-containing liquid to be treated are introduced, said liquid, it being understood, being provided in a finely divided state, in the particular embodiment shown being delivered through a suitable spray nozzle 13.

The solid-containing liquid and the gaseous drying medium thus simultaneously supplied are designed to flow concurrently through and to intermingle in a desiccating chamber formed by a casing 14 which, in accordance with the invention, is to be composed of foraminous material over a portion and, preferably, substantially over its entire length.

Moreover, this material is also preferably of a flexible nature such as a suitable fabric, as canvas; and in this form may readily be suspended from the distributing casing 10. For example, it may be adjustably secured thereto, or rather to a ring member 15 extending downwardly therefrom by means of a clamping ring 16, the upper edge of the material being drawn upwardly the desired extent to give the required tautness to the casing whose lower edge is secured as, for example, about the outlet duct 17 which connects with a flow inducing means such as the suction fan 18. The lower end of the casing is preferably constructed as frustro-conical; and, by thus attaching the opposite ends of said flexible casing to the respective rigid supports 15 and 17 the casing ma be proper y extended, the tautness being etermined as hereinbefore explained. At the lower end, said casing may be firmly secured as by means of a clamping ring 19 fitted over the inner end of the outlet duct 17.

The shape of the said casing may be furtherinsured b surrounding the same with a succession o annular members as the rings 20- The inner surface, however, is primarily I kept free of such particles by constructing the casing of foraminous material, in which event air or other gaseous medium surrounding the said casin will be drawn inwardly and in a substantia ly radial direction (as indicated by the arrows) through the openings 22 of saidmaterial and thus prevent particles from coming in contact withthe said inner surface. 7

In addition, the entering gaseous medium, which may be at a reduced temperature, can

thus serve also as a protective shell or skin over the inner wall to prevent particles of a more or less sticky nature from adhering thereto as the temperature of the same will thereby be sufliciently lowered to overcome the tendency to become sticky at elevated temperatures such as may prevail in the gas eons dryin medium.

The thic ess of this skin or inner layer of gaseous medium will be determined, of course, by the degree to which the pressure within the casing is reduced below that of the atmosphere surroundingthe casing and by the area 0 the openings 22 therein. The suction fan 18 provides not only for this reduction of pressure within the chamber but secures the circulation of the sprayed liquid and desiccating gases therethrough as well as their removal therefrom.

As hereinbefore noted, if the casing be composed of material such as a fabric, any moisture tending to collect upon its innersurface will soak through to the outer surface to be evaporated therefrom and serving thus to enhance the cooling action of said casing. Moreover, there is no tendency of the casing to become clogged as it is really self-cleaning in the action of the incoming jets of gaseous medium.

I claim: 1 Desiccating apparatus for solid-containing liquids, comprising a casing of foraminous material, means closing the upper end 2. Desiccatmg apparatus for solid-containing liquids, comprising a desiccating casing of fabric substantially throughout its length, means to secure said casing at its upper-end, closing the same thereat and havin an opening therethrough for admission 0% the fluid to be desiccated and for a desiccating fluid medium, means to secure the fabric at its lower end to maintain said casing in a substantially vertical position, means to maintain substantially the shape of said casing intermediate its ends and embodying a plurality of ring members mounted about the same but displaced therefrom, and flow-inducing means communicating with the lower end of said casing for withdrawing spent gases therefrom and effecting thereby also radially directed jets of fluid medium from the surrounding atmosphere along the inner surface of said casing.

3. Desiccating apparatus for solid-containing liquids, comprising a distributing casing or head for a heated gaseous medium and having an opening therethrough, means to' introduce through said opening solid-containing liquid, a desiccating casing of fabric hung from said distributing head to receive through its upper end the heatedgaseous medium and the solid-containing liquid in finely-divided state, means to secure the lower end of the casing to maintain said casing substantially in a vertical position, means to maintain substantially the shape of said cas ing and embodying a plurality of ring members mounted about the same but displaced therefrom, and flow-inducing means communicating with the lower end of said casing to withdraw the spent desiccating medium through the said end and effecting thereby also radially directed jets of fluid medium from the surrounding atmosphere along the inner surface of said fabric.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WILLIAM SPENCER BOWEN. 

